A sea change is making its way across the nation on gay marriage, state by state. In the last 12 months, 9 states have had federal judges ruling against same-sex marriage bans in their state, saying that a ban is unconstitutional. Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Texas have had judges ruling against same-sex marriage bans for this reason. And add Idaho to that list, that just happened today. Also Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee have been ordered to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that "a law forbidding the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages was unconstitutional", judges have been standing tall and seemingly united, stating plainly that a ban is unfair. We can no longer look at same-sex marriage as some second-class citizen privilege. All citizens are equal, and a union between any two should be treated as such, regardless of sexual orientation. (I'm paraphrasing from the judge in Idaho that just struck the ban down 5/13/14.)

We are fast on our way to yet another Supreme Court hearing over gay marriage. This time, hopefully, the issue will be settled once and for all. Make it legal across the country with finality, justices. You know its the right thing to do; certainly judges all across the nation already know it.

My favorite part about this whole sea change is the collective shrug from huge swaths of our population. They act like it's just not being that big of a deal. This is a huge deal! Do you think that anyone imagined the gay rights movement would move at the warp speed we've been witnessing even five years ago? It just goes to show that the justifications used to actively discriminate against millions of American citizens was based on faulty and downright discriminatory logic.

Another ban bites the dust. Throw Pennsylvania onto the stack. AP report says that if it holds up, PA will become the 19th state to legalize same-sex unions. No doubt this is a nationwide trend. Anyone know of a source that cites all of the 19 states?

Indiana and Utah just got their gay marriage bans struck down too. According to an MSNBC graphic, 20 states now allow same-sex marriage, 22 bans are currently being challenged, and 8 state bans currently ruled unconstitutional are on hold.

Utah marks the first time a federal appeals court struck down a ban on gay marriage. That adds even more legitimacy for other states to do the same. 10 states have already struck down bans in 2014 alone. I wonder if we will see 10 more by the end of the year? I think that's entirely possible. Maybe more.

I think the US is just growing up. The move of so many towards acceptance is based on the views of so many. Especially the younger demographics.
I wonder if the states allowing Gay Marriage will present a line similar to the civil war where the south holds out and we have a separation based on ideology. Time will tell.

TJ Wrote: I think the US is just growing up. The move of so many towards acceptance is based on the views of so many. Especially the younger demographics.
I wonder if the states allowing Gay Marriage will present a line similar to the civil war where the south holds out and we have a separation based on ideology. Time will tell.

That's how things always seem to be. The South is always behind on every major issue throughout our history and always have the same exact excuse: state's rights. There is not one thing the South has ever taken the lead on and they have always eventually been forced to adapt by legislation, a Supreme Court ruling, or a Constitutional Amendment.

Slavery: they fought a Civil War over that oneJim Crow: they fought tooth and nail until the Congress, the Supreme Court, and our National Guard forced them to integrate their schools, water fountains, and restaurants.Interracial Marriage: they were well behind on this one, as well. The Supreme Court had to step in with Loving v. Virginia to force them to to accept that.Sodomy: It took the Supreme Court until 2003 to rule on this one, but they eventually deemed them unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas. Many southern states still have anti-sodomy laws on the books, but they are now unconstitutional and can not be enforced.

The list goes on and on. The South tends to struggle on the issue of civil and human rights and clouds these arguments in the whole 'states rights' mantra. They have always been on the wrong side of history and are on the wrong side of history yet again. They will fight tooth and nail, but gay marriage will eventually be legal nationwide. It will most likely take another Supreme Court ruling to force them into it though.

It's because they get out of bed and open the bible. Hell, an alternative might be to get out of bed and open a newspaper (and think for themselves).
It's the crazy way of thinking in the south that will cause me to avoid states where narrow (and hateful) thinking is prevalent.

I was born and still live in a small country with a population of 4.4 million. About 7 years ago we passed a civil union act allowing legal recognition of all relationships, then last year we became the 13th country on the planet, and the first in the Asia Pacific region to recognise marriage equality. The act simply removed all reference to gender in the marriage act. Of course those opposed predicted the fall of society itself (didn't happen). I am openly gay and will be 65 in 7 days. At the end of this year I plan to marry my long term lover and when I go into the grave I will do so knowing that my country is as proud of me as I am of it, and guess what folks that is a great feeling. To everyone fighting for the cause in the US, I offer my sincerest best wishes.

When it comes to choosing your next presidential nominee please remember Hilary was before Obama in supporting gay equality, Hilary is a female candidate in a country that (shamefully) has never had a female President. Yes, she probably is not perfect but I challenge you to name a politician who is. I am a NZ Green party member but a realist and would always support someone who supports equality for all of us. All of our countries have some historical moments (and sometimes centuries) that make us cringe at times but they also all have moments that make us so glad of where we live and what we have achieved. Incidentally, my country, New Zealand was also the very first country in the world to allow women to vote. The US will soon have an opportunity to allow a woman to aspire to the most powerful political position in the world. I am asking that you all show the same courage and foresight as your founding fathers did, oh so long ago.

If Hilary ever reads this and I hope she does let me know if you need someone to lobby the sizeable GLBT population there.

Actually I dont think it is because they open the bible, I think it is because they interpret it to fit their prejudices. The central message of Christianity (and many other religions) comes in the phrase "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you." All over the world Gay men (and lesbian and bisexual and transgender) have fought for everyone's freedom alongside their heterosexual brothers and sisters. Marriage equality is simply about showing them that they country loves them with the same passion they showed in their defense of the country. Please don't read this as an endorsement of war, we should do everything in our power to avoid it, so long as in avoiding it we do not end up with a worse country and planet than we would have had we stood up